Above : Photo Of Michael Davitt

Gladstone was but half convinced. He saw that to the complication to Ireland of an agrarian system unsuited to the circumstances of the country the prevalent disorders were mainly due. This he proposed to remedy by means of a comprehensive Irish Land Bill. Unfortunately,however, a Coercion Bill was to precede the remedial measures.That the effects of the latter in Ireland would be lamentable was pointed out by many of the Irish members, and notably by Parnell himself. Their efforts to impede its passage were vain, and in March, 1881, the Coercion Act became law.

Above: Mrs. Parnell

The London “Times” now (1888) brought a terrible charge against Mr. Parnell. It accused him of having written letters encouraging persons to commit crimes and outrages, and of saying that Mr. Burke, who was murdered in the Park, got only what he deserved. The writer went on to state that the letters, in Parnell’s handwriting, were in the ” Times ” office. Parnell at once declared these accusations false, and brought an action for slander against the ” Tunes.” After a long trial it was found that all the letters had been carefully forged, in imitation of Parnell’s hand- writing, by an Irish newspaper editor named Pigott, who sold them for a good sum to the editor of the ” Times.” Pigott fled, but was pursued: and when he found himself overtaken, committed suicide. The ” Times ” had to acknowledge the forgery, and by agreement of both sides, handed Parnell 5,000 pounds as damages, besides paying all the enormous expenses.